Backup that saves your files off-site is one cloud computing service everyone should consider. Here are a handful of our most recent online backup reviews.

Online backup ranks among the most popular software topics on PCMag.com. It's no surprise, since all the numbers point to the need for backing up your treasured files: Every year, 43 percent of computer users lose irreplaceable data. Why? Because users don't perform regular, frequent backups. An Iomega study showed that 69 percent of home users back up once a month or less.

Data loss can be heartbreaking enough when your personal photos, videos, and music make up the data in question. But if you've got a small business, the potential damage may be even more devastating: 70 percent of small firms that experience a major data loss go out of business within a year, according to a recent study by HP.

Simpler, More Reliable
Online backup services make this safeguarding your data easier and more reliable. Since the files are stored on remote, redundant servers, your lost laptop or crashed hard drive is covered, and if a disaster strikes your premises, your backup won't rely on physical discs. And these services all automate the actual back up procedure, so you don't have to remember to plug in your external drive or load a blank DVD and hit "Start backup." As long as you've got an Internet connection, the services can automatically grab changed files up to their secure servers while your PC is idle.

Common pricing for online backup runs at about $55 a year for unlimited storage for one PC. Some services let you back up as many PCs as you want in an account, but charge you for storage space in 25GB increments.

What To Look For
When evaluating online backup services, I look for ease and flexibility of setting up your backup jobs, along with a secure and simple restore procedure. Plusses include the ability to back up network and external drives, to save multiple versions of backed up files, to watch and immediately upload changed files, and to add files to the backup set from within Windows Explorer. My Editors' Choice, SOS Online Backup, has led the way in offering all of this.

This roundup highlights some of the less-popular options, some of which are nonetheless worth consideration. Since the last big roundup of backup services, I've revisited IDrive and Norton Online Backup, both of which came out unflatteringly in previous reviews. I'm happy to report that all have made great strides. A couple desirable features that distinguish both are their ability to handle multiple PCs within a single account and to backup up removable and network disks.

Recently rebranded as KineticD, Data Deposit Box is another smaller player that wasn't reviewed in time for our last roundup. The service offers simple and powerful backup features, including multiple PC coverage in one account, versioning, and live protection. But it trailed other services a bit when it came to restoring data and couldn't back up network drives.

Market leader Mozy also was due for another look, and the service MozyHome 2.0 got a shiny new, improved interface that makes the process of choose what file to back up and when much simpler. It also adds a local backup option, which means you can restore a lot faster than over the internet if you choose both online and local targets. And it saves 30 days worth of your file versions, but it still lacks the multiple PC and external drive capabilities.

The online portion of Nero's BackItUp & Burn also offers both local and online backup, but could still use some smoothing out. The service now also comes as part of the company's excellent media suite, so you might like it if you like getting all your tools as a bundle.

Our Next Reviews
Our longstanding Editors' Choice, SOS Online Backup, also supports multiple machines in the base account along with offering the most options in the best designed interface. But SOS will be coming out with a new version in Summer 2010. A company representatives tells me the new version will expand on the mobile, media, sharing, and management features it released in late 2009 and have revised pricing.

Another market leader, Carbonite, is also being updated, with a target of this fall. That update will include a new Restore Manager that makes getting files back even easier, the company tells me.

Look for new reviews of Carbonite, SOS, and others in the coming months, along with a more in-depth guide to online backup. In the meanwhile, here are a handful of choice that can help you get your data backed up, the simplest, most reliable waythe online way.

Data Deposit Box (now called KineticD)$2/GB direct
This is one of the most complete online backup packages I've seen. And although it might appear pricy, you can add multiple machines to one account, which the competition charges extra for.

IDrive$4.95/month directIDrive's support for up to five computers in one account, version saving, Web interface and fast operation are welcome, but you can't mix Macs and PCs, and there are still some rough edges, compared with the competition. Still, the service is much improved since our last review.

MozyHome 2.0$54.95/year directMozy improves ease of use and setup, but still supports just one computer per account and doesn't let you back up network or removable drives. That keeps it a step behind the competition.

Nero BackItUp & Burn$99.99 listNero has trimmed down its full-service media suite to the most in-demand data-protection apps and given them a simple, slick interface. But many of this product's tasks are better handled by standalone solutions. BackItUp & Burn is also now standard with Nero Media Suite.

Norton Online Backup 2.0$49.99 directWith this release, Norton has brought its online backup service's features into the mainstream. Support for multiple PCs, including Macs, in one account and a slick Web-based user interface make this a Norton Online Backup 2.0 a real contender.

Online Backup Services: Other Players
There are plenty more players in the online backup game. If you're willing to check out some of the many lesser-known online backup competitors for yourself, here are a few you can start with that are on my radar for future reviews:

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